Austrian climber Babsi Zangerl climbed Freerider (VI, 5.13a) on her first attempt, ground-up, without a single fall. She had never touched the route, and even if she had boggled her first step onto the notoriously slippery granite monolith, the attempt would have been over. There is only one time to earn a “flash,” and that’s the first time you touch the route.
It’s hard to explain the difficulty and pressure of flashing a 3,300-foot route without making a mistake that causes a fall. Add to that the danger and pressure of an incoming storm that threatened to bring subfreezing temperatures and unbearable winds.
To put it into context, some boulderers’ and sport climbers’ seasons have been categorically ruined by missing the flash on an 8-foot boulder or a 30-foot sport route. I’ve done that plenty of times, and much of the time, I just folded under the pressure, which, in contrast to what Zangerl overcame, isn’t even measurable.
Flashed, a new documentary chronicling this historic achievement, has incredible cinematography and visuals that only a Yosemite big wall can deliver. And Zangerl and Jacopo Larcher, her longtime partner, are open, humble, and honest, revealing the emotions of tackling such a grand endeavor on the grandest formation. But the real story to me is one of partnership.
Larcher fell low on the route, instantly ruining his chances for his flash.
Of course, this was a massive disappointment to both. But Larcher quickly put himself into support mode, and in the words of Zangerl, “I think it shows his character; this is even better than flashing the route.”
